Food Operations Manager

At IKEA, our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We believe that everything we do comes with the responsibility to create a positive impact on people, society and the planet. We are passionate about home furnishing, creating a positive life at home and sharing our tasty responsibly sourced food with the many people across the world.

We are guided by our cultures & values, creating a great place to work.
We stand for equality, diversity and inclusion.
We care about people & planet and promote health & wellbeing.
We nurture your development and provide career opportunities to unlock your potential.

What you need to know

Working at IKEA has its benefits and rewards:
• 5 weeks’ Paid Annual Leave, Paid Parental Leave, Family & Community Leave and much more
• 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Program for health and wellbeing support
• 15% Co-worker discount
• Low-cost nutritious meals including complimentary drinks in our Co-worker restaurant
• Co-worker uniform provided
• Free Co-worker parking
• Bonus programme (where eligible)
• Benefits Membership (savings and discounts on everyday expenses, entertainment, retail and well-being offers across hundreds of retailers and service providers)
• Co-worker Loyalty programme (extra contribution to your superannuation fund where eligible)

Additional information:
• This role is Permanent Full-time, 76hrs/fortnight
• The internal job title is Unit Food Operations Manager
• This role is based on-site at IKEA Tempe store
• As our store operates 7 days per week, you must be available to work a rotating roster including day and evening shifts, as well as alternating weekends (Saturday and Sunday)
• As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a video interview.

About this work area

As a Food Operations Manager, you will lead a high-volume operation, ensure safe, efficient, and commercially successful food delivery while building a strong team culture. Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and coach a large operations team to deliver strong performance, effective collaboration, and a consistently high-quality customer experience.
• Ensure full compliance with IKEA standards, food safety requirements, and all relevant legislation.
• Drive sales and profitability by analysing performance, managing costs, and acting on key commercial opportunities.
• Oversee daily operations during peak trading periods, ensuring efficiency, product availability, and smooth execution.
• Implement effective forecasting, stock control, and waste management to optimise operations and minimise loss.
• Drive continuous improvement by using customer feedback and operational insights to enhance processes and performance.

As a Food Operations Manager you are or have:
• Proven leadership experience, including leading leaders and developing high-performing, engaged teams in a high-volume environment.
• A strong customer focus, with a passion for delivering safe, high-quality, and memorable food experiences.
• Solid experience in food operations, including compliance, food safety standards, and local legislation.
• The ability to manage peak trading complexity while maintaining operational excellence and team performance.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience analysing KPIs, managing budgets, and driving sales while controlling costs.
• Well-developed planning and organisational skills, including forecasting, stock control, and waste management.
• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset with confidence in decision-making and problem-solving.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships across functions.

We need people like you

At IKEA, work is so much more than a job. Come join us!